PRESENTS

Welcome to the Grapevine News. This section of the Mathis Chronicles contains my views about anything I find or am sent about Johnny Mathis on the Internet and elsewhere, that had been overlooked by the "official" sites. Occasionally, I report on things not directly related to Mathis but have a connection, may even make up a question to ask myself and try to answer. Readers are welcome to share their experiences here also. So enjoy and thanks for coming.

VOL. 2 NO. 11 - JUNE 4, 2003

PREORDER NOW: I've noticed pre-orders at Amazon.com, Tower Records America, and CD Universe being taken for I'm Coming Home, which now has a July 1 release date, a Tuesday as usual. The one at CD Universe seems especially reasonable.

MR. S: I noticed on CBS' website the book excerpt from "My Life with Mr. S," written by George Jacobs, the former valet of the late singer Frank Sinatra. Apparently Mr. Sinatra used to throw all political correctness out the window when around his friends and associates. From what I gather from the excerpt, Sinatra was reasonably respectful when he wasn't being a big shot. Otherwise, when Sinatra was entertaining, Jacobs, an African-American, became "Spook", Johnny Mathis became "The African Queen", and you begin to get the picture. He had similar non-flattering monikers for his other acquaintances. I shudder to think what he used to call Sammy Davis, Jr.

Incredulously, Jacobs says he never really minded Sinatra's behavior toward him in front of his friends. I guess when you make the kind of money Sinatra's valet is bound to make, you put up with a lot of stuff, huh? As for Sinatra's "term of endearment" for Mathis, I had heard that before from folks on the street, but this is the first time I've ever seen it in print, identifying where the term came from. Makes me wonder...what names did other people, Mathis included, have for Mr. S? Of course, a revelation such as this says one thing about what kind of person Sinatra was, and it never was a secret that this was not a nice individual, but it also asks the question, what does it do to a person to have to work for a person like that? These are questions one doesn't easily answer from a short excerpt, and it wouldn't be fair to judge Mr. Jacobs one way or another. All I can say is, this man has seen and heard things few people are privileged to during his tenure with Sinatra, and he probably deserves a Purple Heart for having lived through it.

UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME: Hang in there Luther! Send Luther some love and prayers.

TOUR BUS: The bus stops next in Detroit, Michigan. Visit See Mathis Live! for details. New dates for 2004 added! Yay!

©2003 Iris Gross Georg. All rights reserved.

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